


Forced back into Society

by Zero1606



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: After Calamity, Alternate Timelines, M/M, Strong Link, Talking Link, Top Link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 22:52:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12617336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zero1606/pseuds/Zero1606
Summary: Forced out of his self chosen exil, Link makes his way towards the Domain to deal with a problem they seem unable to overcome on their own.





	Forced back into Society

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the beginning of something that had been clogging my mind for a while now.

Looking back he remembered how he had been told that hermits were, after criminals of cause, the worst kind of people. ‘Egoistic people that deny their knowledge and services to the society’ that’s what his father called them. He had been a strong believer in Hyrule and stood behind all of the King’s decisions without question. In the end his belief had brought him nothing more than a quick death at the claw of a corrupted guardian and shortly afterwards, he learned how wrong his father had been.

Nothing had been more soothing for his soul than being on his own out here in the mountains of Lanayru. Hunting, fishing and farming provided enough food to always be well fed. His skill with needle and thread had drastically increased since he left his comfortable life behind and the clothing he wore now were many times more comfortable than the ones he used to buy. It wasn’t an easy life, but he was his own master.

Sadly, as much as he would love to completely ignore the outside world, she still manages to catch his attention from time to time.

<><><><> 

It was a rather beautiful day when he noticed it for the first time: The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, which usually patrolled the reservoir had stopped dead in its track. Not even its trunk moved and it usually always moved around, even if just a little bit.

While, under normal circumstances, he only would have raised an eyebrow and then continue with his day, there was a second thing that added a much more worrisome piece to the picture: The wind. Carried by the breeze was a sickly sweet smell, it was faint, but noticeable enough to be recognised. For a brief moment he wanted to march towards the Devine Beast and deal with the source of that damnable smell, but he decided against actions. The Zoras had a long memory, they should be more than capable enough to deal with this problem.

Over the next few weeks he noticed a strong increase in activity along the road towards the domain, which together with the fact that the smell remained in the air told him that he had overestimated the Zoras. Now they were probably seeking the aid of the other races, but he doubted that they would be of much help.

In the end he didn’t knew if it was pity or the wish for fresh air that made him decide to travel to the domain himself. If he was right about what the problem was, then there was still time to deal with it before it got too concerning.

<><><><> 

Over the years he hadn’t much use for a mirror, but he knew how to improvise. All it took was a small puddle of clean water and an ice arrowhead. Done right and you could use the created ice as a mirror, at least until it melts.

How long had it been since he last had to care about his appearance? He honestly couldn’t remember. With slow and precise movements he rid himself of the beard that had started to overtake his face. After the last tuft of blonde beard fell from his face and he sat down the knife, he was greeted by a familiar face that he hadn’t seen in a long time.

While his hair was longer than it had been back then he some faint scratches marked his otherwise flawless skin he was still undoubtedly of Hylian blood. His clear blue eyes had often brought him the attention of the fairer sex, not that he had much time for a relationship back then.

Pulling his hair back into a ponytail, he stepped away from his improvised mirror to have a look at the rest of himself. Working hard every day to survive had left its marks on his body. A few small scars scattered on his left arm tell the tale of his ruff beginnings out here on his own. He had been quiet clumsy when it came to erecting his first shelter and often had to pause because he managed to injure himself. Then there were two jagged scars on his right leg, were it had an up-close meeting with the jaws of a wolf. Finally there were the two marks he had brought over from his old life:

A huge chunk of his left abdomen was a burned black colour. The patch went all the way around to his back where it stopped shortly before his spine. It had long stopped to hurt, but the skin around that area had a rougher texture, so it was quiet annoying when it came to personal hygiene. The second one wasn’t visible, it was hidden underneath the heavy gauntlet which he used to cover his right hand and forearm and there it would remain.

Deeming himself clean and representable enough he threw out the piece of ice before it could melt and turned towards the matter of clothing. He had been working on set of armour for a while now and, seeing that he didn’t know how far he could trust the Zoras, now would be the perfect time to test it.

Considering that he had no prior knowledge of making armours and only a limited talent with needle and thread he must admit that the result didn’t look half bad, even though it took quite a while to make. A patchwork of dark leather was the base for the entire set. Not many people today knew how to hunt monsters without making them disappear upon death and even he didn’t manage to get it right every time. For the cuffs of the chest piece, pants and the collar of the boots he had used the fur of one of the grey wolves that had tried to claim his territory. If there was one piece of the armour that he was proud of than it would be the hood. The silver hairs of a Lynel’s mane were quiet comfortable, sadly getting them had nearly proven to be his undoing. He had been searching for ores and gems after a rockslide and had disturbed the Lynel as it was trying to rest in the remains of its cave. Let’s just say that getting the hair had involved a bag filled with rocks, the Lynel’s head and an impact strong enough to knock it out before it even could reach for its weapon.

It was a bit of a struggle to get his right hand through the shorter sleeve of the chest piece, but otherwise it fit him perfectly. There was only one thing left to get before he was ready to start his way down towards the road, it could look suspicious if he came over the mountains instead of the road after all. Underneath his bed laid a long wrapped package that he hadn’t touched since he finished his current shelter. The long once bright red cloth, used as the cape of a set of armour, now had a dirty brown colour. Carefully he unwrapped it, fearing that he would tear it even more apart. As the last layer of the expensive fabric fell of he was left with the sheath of a sword in his hands.

The knight that once carried this weapon into battle could comfortably swing it with one hand and carry a tower shield in the other. He on the other hand had to use the longsword as a two-hander. The brown paint of the plain sheath was already fading and the leather wraps around the handle would need to be replace sometime in the near future, but otherwise it was in good condition. He hadn’t used anything bigger than a knife in a while, but he was confident enough that he could at least fend of the Zora long enough to escape, should he felt the need to do so. With a fluid motion he strapped the sheath over his shoulders and looked around his home for one last time. He really hoped that nothing would claim this place while he is away.

<><><><> 

It took him the better part of an hour to reach the part of the road before the first Zoran checkpoint. He disliked having to go the long way, but he really wanted to get this over with as peacefully as possible. Luckily for him he had missed the last group of travellers by a few minutes so he should have a pretty quiet march up the mountain to look forward to.

The first checkpoint was nothing more than two bored guards hanging out on a bridge, before they saw him they had been intensely discussing something, probably gossip. He slowed down his step in case they wanted him to stop, but they simply glanced him over and then nodded him through.

Only after the checkpoint had vanished around the next corner he picked up speed again. If nothing goes wrong he should be able to arrive at the Domain before sundown and hopefully find a room for the night. As he continued on his way he noticed that the taint in the air got worse the closer he got, even the Zoras, who’s sense of smell wasn’t the best above water must be able to notice it.  The sooner he got rid of the source the better, before long the wildlife would leave the area and he had had no desire to move just yet.

For minutes he walked along the dirt path with nothing but the sounds of the river and his own thoughts as companions and he couldn’t have wished for better company. Not even the fact that no bird dared to sing in this air was bothering him. Sadly it seemed like the divine didn’t feel like granting him this pleasure for long. A roadside campfire had appeared behind a corner and with it another traveller.

He wasn’t one to care much about appearance, but here even he raised an eyebrow. The giant beetle backpack of the man was an eye catcher that much was sure. But even without it he had a rather uncommon look. Brown hair, a big red nose, small eyes and freckles combined with a short white top and blue shorts. As he neared the man’s resting spot he caught the stranger’s attention. Thanks to the backpack he struggled to stand up but after a bit of wobbling he found him to be around his high. “Hello stranger, pleasure to meet you. I’m Beedle, traveling merchant.” Beedle grabbed his right hand and shook it enthusiastically. The merchant looked him over from bottom to top and his eyes stopped on the hilt of his sword. “Are you perhaps a mercenary? If so I may be in need of your service. You see, I got separated from the group I was traveling with. We were ambushed by a group of Lizalfos and while our escort probably managed to fend them of I must have been hit in the head,” he brushed away his hair and showed him a sizeable bump. “My companions must have thought that I was dead, seeing that they were gone when I woke up. Thankfully they had enough respect to leave my bag alone,” he petted the giant bag like it was a loved pet.

“Anyways, I really could use someone to watch my back on the way to the Domain,” he started to rummage through his pockets and pulled out a leather purse. “I usually don’t deal with mercenaries, so I have no idea what to offer you. Do 50 sound right?” For the first time since their conversation had started he had an opening to talk, Beedle stared at him with his tiny eyes and waited for his answer. He didn’t know what to say. On the one hand he liked being alone and out here would probably be his last chance until he left the Domain again, on the other he doubted that the merchant could stand against a Lizalfos if they attacked him again. Besides, he was offering him quite a bit for simply walking with him for a few hours and he would need money for a room anyways. “Sure, fifty sound good. But we are going at my speed, so you better be able to keep up. I’m sure you don’t want to spend another night outside if you instead could sleep in an actual bed.” The merchant nodded energetically and then kicked dirt into the fire to extinguish it. “Thank you! My new friend, just give me a minute and we can be on our way.” While Beedle was busy he quickly checked if his hair was still hiding his ears from view, he had no idea how the human would react to a Hylian after all.

For the first few minutes of traveling together the merchant kept quiet and to himself while he took the lead, his eyes always moving, looking for signs of the reptilian beasts. “Say friend,” of cause the merchant couldn’t stay quiet for long. “What is it Beedle?” “You haven’t told me your name yet.” “Do you really need it? Once I drop you of at the Domain we probably will never see each other again.” Learning the merchant’s name had already been a pointless thing to do, why should he return the gesture? He could hear the disappointment in the merchant’s voice as he answered. “I simply wanted to get a conversation going.” Feeling a little bad and realising that this could be a good moment to get a few additional information he decided to grant him his wish. “Then let’s talk about something a little more interesting than me. Do you know what exactly is going in the Domain?” “You don’t know?” “I’ve had a job far in the west and just know returned.” He was somewhat glad that the merchant had given him a good excuse with his mercenary assumption; explaining how he could have missed what apparently was big news would have been hard, without revealing his lifestyle.

“Apparently the giant metal elephant malfunctioned and poisoned the princess. Now they are looking for a cure. Whoever manages to cure her majesty is going to be rewarded with 10,000 Rupees. You can imagine that this sum brought even the oldest doctors out of retirement to try their luck.” So he had been right, the Divine Beast must have been contaminated with Malice. It would have been a wonder if someone managed to cure her of Malice poisoning. “I guess no one managed to cure her yet.” “Sadly no and it is such a shame too. Lady Mipha is said to be a kind person and ironically a great healer too.” So Mipha was her name, interesting. “Are you trying your luck?” “No, nothing that I have with me could cure more than a few scratches. I’m going to the domain to buy luminous stones to later sell them to the Gerudos.” So Beedle was a smart businessman underneath that strange appearance. The desert women were known for their craftsmanship when it came to jewellery and the luminous stones could look quite beautiful is prepared right. “If you have the money you also should consider buying some of their prepared silver. Sure it is less pure, but far easier to form, I’m sure that they Gerudos would buy that as gladly as they will the stones.”

Their conversation came to a halt somewhere close by a branch snapped loudly. Beedle tried to hide behind him, which thanks to his luggage was a fruitless effort. A dark scaled Lizalfos stumbled through the trees and onto the road, it shook itself free from the leaves that clung to him and noticed them in the process. It quickly reached for its boomerang and then growled at them before slowly coming closer. “Well Mr Mercenary, do your job,” he felt Beedle push him towards the foe and he calmly continued to walk towards it. Just as the Lizalfos raised his weapon he opened his mouth. “Are you sure you want to do that?” It stopped in its movement and looked at him, eyes wider than before. “You are no match for me and you know that. Leave! And I’ll act like I never saw you in the first place.” The calm voice seemed to unsettle the reptile, it started to shiver and it got worse the closer the Hylian got. As he stopped two feet before it, the beast had started to cover like a kicked dog. “Leave! I won’t say it again.” To the astonishment of Beedle and the Lizalfos itself, it obeyed and stepped out of the way, letting the duo pass without incident.

As soon as the beast vanished from view the merchant let go of the air he was holding in. “Wow! How did you do that my friend? That was fantastic. I’ve never seen a Lizalfos acting that way.” The other massaged his right hand and offered the simple explanation. “It’s just a trick I picked up a while ago. Now, could we please walk for a few minutes in silence? I can feel a headache coming.” “Sure my friend.” They informed the guards at the next checkpoint about the lonely lizard and embarked on the final third of their journey in a now comfortable silence.

The rest of their way was uneventful and he denied every attempt of Beedle to start a new conversation. Finally they reached the last bridge, the Domain was only a few minutes away. This was the only checkpoint that looked like one. A small wooden hut had been erected and served as a base for the six Zoras that guarded the entrance to the Domain. Other than the ones he had seen on his way here this ones looked serious and concentrated instead of bored. They were in full armour, at least what Zoras considered full: A chest piece, a helmet, and enchanted jewellery. The air up here was the worst he had breathed in a long time. It was like tons of sugar were burned every minute, yet no one seemed to care. The sooner he was able to leave the better.

“Well my friend, I hope we see each other again sometimes.” He handed him a violet and a rep rupee. “The extra twenty are for the business tip and the interesting trick you demonstrated.” With a wave of his hand Beedle went to the line of traders that needed to go through customs before entering the domain. He himself simply went to one of free guards.

It was the youngest looking Zora of the group, her scales were a pale green. She looked up from her clipboard and looked him over. “Name and reason for your visit.” Her voice was monotone with routine. “Link. I’m here to try my luck at healing your princess.” He stopped himself from telling her that he knew how to heal her, boasting wasn’t going to help him in this matter. Surely others have said the same only to fail spectacularly.

“Keep that blade in its sheath and go see Captain Bazz. He is the one coordinating the meetings with her majesty. Hopefully one of you will finally manage to do something, the last thing I heard was that she has gotten too weak to walk for more than a few seconds.” That was real concern in her voice, this Mipha really must be popular with her people. As he walked past her he muttered. “I’ll do my best.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for your time.  
> There is a slight chance that this turns into something explicit. If it comes to this, than Link won't be the bottom in the act. Him being bottom has been slightly overused in the last few months.


End file.
